BRISTOL, Tenn. – A new program at Bristol Regional Medical Center is giving students and young adults with special needs a chance to gain experience working in a hospital setting. Since February, about 20 participants from River’s Way – a local nonprofit organization and United Way agency – have been hard at work at Bristol Regional, doing jobs like maintaining the hospital’s appearance, supporting people’s dietary needs and preparing linens for use. All participants of the program have special needs and are students at Tennessee High School or Virginia High School or enrolled solely with River’s Way post-graduation. “Our participants learn to follow instructions, stay on task, be positive and work quickly,” said Tom Hanlon, River’s Way’s executive director. “One of the more important elements of the program is to establish a work ethic in each of our participants. Our goal is to help them secure jobs. We teach each person how to perform a…

Meet Gilda McKinney, patient navigator and receptionist for perioperative services, and learn about why she feels her work is such a blessing. Click below to see this inspiring video.  

BRISTOL, Va. – On Saturday, April 28, a girls’ afternoon out can be a lifesaver. Ballad Health Foundation’s fourth annual Wine Women & Shoes event will help us expand access to breast cancer screening programs for local women in need. Through ticket sales, auction items and event sponsors, the foundation can provide more: 3-D mammograms Breast MRI tests BRCA 1 and 2 genetic analyses Genetic panels In 2017, Wine Women & Shoes proceeds totaled more than $155,000 – enough to fund 770 mammograms. This year’s event will be held from 2-5 p.m. at the Virginian Golf Club in Bristol, Virginia, and feature: Best in Shoe awards: You can win prizes for Sassy Stiletto, Wonderful Wedge, Fabulous Flat and Bodacious Boot. Each winner will receive a $100 Zappos gift card. Golden Ticket: Enter to win a trip to Napa Valley. Magazine cover photo shoot: Grab your sole sisters and strike a pose for a souvenir photo….

Team members who have leftover scrubs after the transition to standard Ballad Health colors will have the opportunity to put those old scrubs to good use through a charity program if they wish to do so. At right, Kristi Bode at Franklin Woods displays some of the old scrubs she’s collecting. More info will be forthcoming about how you can donate your old scrubs. This program, created by a medical relief organization called Global Links, collects old scrubs and donates them to healthcare workers in resource-poor areas, including countries like Nicaragua, Guatemala, Haiti and Guyana, where hospitals often have a shortage of uniforms. Providing scrubs allows other crucial medical needs, like medicines and surgical supplies, to be more easily funded. Ballad Health is working out the logistical details for collecting old scrubs, and more information will be announced soon. There is also a tax deduction involved. In the meantime, if you wish to donate your…

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – With more than 20 years of healthcare experience combined, Rebecca Beck, Kenny Shafer and Clem “Bo” Wilkes III have been promoted to new roles within Ballad Health. Rebecca Beck is now the chief operating officer of Holston Valley Medical Center. In this role, Beck is responsible for collaborating with physicians, hospital leadership, and other stakeholders to continually improve clinical quality outcomes, patient satisfaction and financial results at Holston Valley. Before being appointed to this position, Beck led Hawkins County Memorial Hospital and Hancock County Hospital as the hospitals’ president. She was promoted to that role after serving as the director of surgical services at Bristol Regional Medical Center. During her career in healthcare, Beck has held several leadership roles within Wellmont Health System. She earned her bachelor’s degree in health administration from East Tennessee State University, and later received a Master of Public Health degree in administration from ETSU and a…

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – Ballad Health announced today the organization has named local public health expert Paula Masters as the new vice president of health programs. Health improvement is at the core of Ballad Health’s mission and vision. As part of the merger agreement which formed Ballad Health, the health system made enforceable commitments with the State of Tennessee and the Commonwealth of Virginia to improve population health, expand access to pediatrics, behavioral and rural health services, and support local health research and medical education. Masters’ new role was created with those commitments in mind. “I’m excited about the potential Ballad Health has to improve the health of our region,” said Masters. “I grew up in rural Appalachia where my father was the only doctor in town. Watching him work with his patients I knew early on I wanted to help people. Public health became my passion.” Masters will join Ballad Health’s newly created office of…

The Ballad Health Team Member Campaign is being combined with the annual United Way campaign, and the combined fundraising drive will be held in the fall. This will allow team members to support all of their usual Ballad Health Foundation causes and their favorite United Way organizations in a single, unified campaign. There will still be options for designating where the pledge goes, with an array of agencies and programs – including United Way – from which to choose. More details will be released in the coming months. Any comments or questions about current Team Member Campaign contributions can be emailed to Jamie Howard at Jamie.Howard@balladhealth.org.

Effective for calendar year 2018, the family contribution limit for health savings accounts (HSAs) has been lowered by $50 – from $6,900 down to $6,850. If you are making the maximum contribution, please adjust your payroll elections so you won’t over-contribute and exceed the new family maximum amount. The Internal Revenue Service adjusted the limits due to the new tax reform plan. Because this is a federal change, it affects Ballad Health team members with both HSA Bank (former Wellmont team members) and Optum Bank (former Mountain States team members). This does not have any effect on your 2017 contribution limits. The individual contribution limit has not changed. If you have any questions, please contact HR4U at 423-431-HR4U (4748) or HR4U@balladhealth.org.

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – Twelve-year-old Patiance Gardner beamed with excitement when hospital leaders announced the total raised through the 2018 Niswonger Children’s Hospital’s Radiothon. Pictured at right, Ballad Health’s Tiffany Willis, Don Raines and Lisa Carter (left to right) work the phones during the radiothon. Patiance – a patient at the children’s hospital who gets monthly infusions due to an immune deficiency – asked for only one thing for her birthday, which was on Sunday, Feb. 25. She wanted people to donate to the radiothon to help kids just like her. “This has been the best birthday yet, and I’m so happy all these people donated to the hospital,” Patiance said. “It’s really important to me because I want everybody to have a chance to feel better and not be sick. The radiothon is such a great cause because it helps sick kids like me. I don’t know what I would do without Niswonger Children’s…